


Ancient History

by lemotmo



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Pre-White House (West Wing)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-09-15
Updated: 2005-09-15
Packaged: 2019-05-30 23:44:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15107255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemotmo/pseuds/lemotmo
Summary: Once upon a time there was a little girl and a young boy that met in a very big building called 'The White House' ... sounds like a fairytale, but definitely isn't one.





	1. Ancient History

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Ancient History, Part 1**

**by:** Ellen  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance/Fluff  
**Rating:** YTEEN  
**Disclaimer:** The characters belong to Aaron Sorkin, et al  
**Summary:** Once upon a time there was a little girl and a young boy that met in a very big building called 'The White House' ... sounds like a fairytale, but definitely isn't one.   
**Spoiler:** pre-series  
**Written:** 5/1/03  


"And now we proceed to the Mural Room. It is--" 

"Boring, boring, boring, ...," 15-year old Josh Lyman was banging his head against the wall, while reciting the same word over and over again. 

"Boring, boring, boring, ...". 

"Josh, will you shut up already?" 

He momentarily stopped and glanced over to the tall, blond boy with the big glasses standing next to him. "I can't take anymore of this, Steven. This is the most boring tour I've ever taken in my whole life." 

"Well, that can't be difficult, you've only been around for 15 years. Not a hell of a long time. And besides, weren't you the one who got all excited when you heard we were visiting the White House?" 

"Well, yeah, but only because I thought we'd actually see some action. I mean, where are all the people that work here? Where is the President and his Chief of Staff? Aren't they supposed to be working here like 24 hours a day?" 

Steven looked at his friend's disappointed face. "Oh, come on Josh, you didn't actually think we were going to see the President and his staff, did you? Did you honestly believe that they would just come out of the West Wing to greet some school kids" 

"Well, why not? Don't we pay taxes? Don't we vote?" 

"No, we don't." 

"I know that, but we will some day. One day we will be able to vote for some governor with interesting ideas. And he'll be elected. I mean, that is so huge! We'll be able to vote for the future of our country. You know, I'm going to be a part of that someday. Don't you think it would be great to actually help someone get elected for president. Oh, man that would be so cool!" 

Steven couldn't help smiling. Yes, this was Josh Lyman to the fullest all right. This was one of the times when his friend started talking about the future and the great things he was planning to do with it. He saw Josh's determent face and he realised, just like he had dozens of times before, that this was an extraordinary boy that was growing into an even better man. 

He had met Josh three years ago. He still remembered like it was yesterday. He was a short boy with a head full of brown curls and unreadable brown eyes. And he appeared to be a wet dream for every bully in school. How wrong they were. Steven couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. 

The first day his friend walked through the school gates he was immediately surrounded by Tyler Grant and his gang. Tyler was a very big 17-year old who was 2 years behind on the rest of his age group. Steven had already had many encounters with Tyler, most of which ended with his head stuck in a toilet bowl. So, naturally he felt bad for this kid. This kid who had no idea what was coming. But he would never dream of interfering though. No one interferes with Tyler and his gang when they decide it's time for a new victim to be initiated. So, they walked up to the kid and he didn't budge. He just stood there, staring right back at them. 

"Give me your bag!" Tyler ordered. 

The new kid just looked back at him and simply replied with one word. 

"No." 

Steven held his breath, no one says `no' to Tyler Grant. He saw the bully looking at his friends, smiling at them. "Can you believe this dwarf, he says `no'." Then, looking straight at him, he repeated very slowly: 

"Give - me - the - bag!". 

Anyone else would have cracked by then, but not the kid. He just stood there, not moving. Tyler started to lose the little patience he possessed and addressed him again. 

"Do you have any idea what I can do to you if you don't do what I tell you to do?" 

Steven couldn't believe his eyes, but suddenly he saw a smile dawning on the kid's face. And he started to talk in a very serene, calm voice. 

"Do you ... have any idea how miserable I can make life for you if you do not back off?" 

Tyler started to laugh out loud, "You, you're going to make my life miserable? Yeah, right! What are you going to do then, huh?" 

Steven didn't exactly know why at the moment, but he instinctively felt that that had been the wrong question. He could see the kid's face and the look in his eyes. He knew that look. It was the look of a hunter, aiming for his target, putting his finger on the trigger and getting ready to kill. And then, without warning he fired and hit his target right in the face. Not with his fists, but with words. "It's fairly simple," he said, "it comes down to a few simple rules: you and your goons just let me pass and never talk or even look at me again. If you break one of these rules I will go the headmaster and tell him how horribly you've been treating me. Taking my lunch money, stealing from my locker, hitting me ... should I go on?" 

Tyler looked slightly alarmed, "I didn't do any of those things ... yet." 

"No, indeed, you didn't. But whom do you think he's going to believe? The older kid who is constantly getting in trouble or the younger kid who is a good student and the son of a well-known, respectable politician? Hmm, you know, I really don't have to think about that one. Do you?" Steven could see Tyler breaking out in cold sweat, "You can't threaten me. You're on your own. I'm backed up!" The new kid just shook his head and gave him a condescending smile, knowing he had already won this fight. 

"Really, let's see, I bet there are a lot of kids here that don't like you. You might have taken some of their money or you might have hit or scared them a few times. Do you really think they would shut up when they have the chance to get you kicked out of school forever?" 

Now, Tyler was as white as a sheet. He looked around him and realised that he had almost picked on every kid on the playground. It was time to retreat. "This isn't over!" he yelled at the boy. But in his heart, he knew it was. Then he turned and signalled his gang to follow him. 

Steven couldn't believe it. This short, weird kid had just knocked out the biggest bully in school. He had to meet him. He walked up to him and introduced himself, "Hey, that was so cool what you said to Tyler Grant. I'm Steven Brooks by the way." The kid looked at him and gave him a friendly, dimpled smile, "Josh Lyman." And just by that their friendship had been sealed. They had stuck together from that moment on. 

As he was now standing with him in the White House, he knew that whatever would happen in the future. Even if they would grow apart, he would never forget that day, the day this new kid changed his world by showing him it's possible to stand up for yourself. 

He was jerked out of his pondering when Josh suddenly decided he had heard enough about the stupid painting hanging in the Mural Room. He saw Josh looking at him with a devious smile on his face. 

"Oh, no, Josh, NO! You're not going to do what I think you're going to do, are you?" 

"Well, that depends, what do you think I'm going to do?" 

"Knowing you? Something very stupid and idiotic that's going to get both of us in trouble." 

"Oh, come on, Steven. I just need to get out of here. Smell some of the real atmosphere of this place and that's not in this room, looking at that ugly painting." 

Steven turned his head to the guide who was now moving on to showing their group an old chair. "This chair was brought in by Lady ..." 

Josh was right, this wasn't really interesting. He looked back at his friend, his mind already made up. "all right, let's do this." Josh smiled at him and then whispered, "Ok, here's the plan, you create a diversion while I slip away and ..." 

"Oh, oh, wait a minute. You're leaving me here?" 

"Well, yeah , we can't both go. That would be way too conspicuous. And besides, I'm the one with the White House obsession here. You are just one of the tourists." 

He was right and how I hated him for it. "Ok, what do I do?". 

Again, the devious smile. And I can't help thinking I'm going to be in so much trouble when this is over. 

Five minutes later I find myself lying on the floor, having faked a sudden dizziness. The teacher, the guide and some fellow-pupils are hovering over me with a worried face. I'm not quite sure if it was worth it, but well, he got away. So, I guess it has. I just hope he doesn't get himself into more trouble than he already is. Because he's good at that, getting himself into trouble. Please be careful Josh, be careful. 

~~~ 

"Yes, yes, yes! I got out!" 

Josh was bouncing up and down and getting all excited behind a corner outside the Mural Room. He was in the White House and on his own. He had dreamt about this since ... well ... since forever. He made a mental note to himself, `Buy Steven the biggest birthday present ever.' He had really been quite convincing, falling down on the floor like that. He should become an actor. 

"Okay, now that I'm here, what am I going to do?" he said to no one in particular. 

Then, his eyes lit up. "I know what I'm going to do, I-" 


	2. Ancient History 2

 

**Ancient History, Part 2**

**by:** Ellen  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance/Fluff  
**Rating:** YTEEN  
**Disclaimer:** The characters belong to Aaron Sorkin, et al  
**Summary:** Once upon a time there was a little girl and a young boy that met in a very big building called 'The White House' ... sounds like a fairytale, but definitely isn't one.   
**Spoiler:** pre-series  
**Written:** 5/5/03  


* * *

"I know what I'm going to do, I--" 

But then he suddenly realised what he was thinking. "Yeah, like the oval office will be just around the corner waiting for me to enter," he muttered. 

It dawned on him that he would probably be jumped by ten security guards before he'd even reach the door. 'Then what?', he thought, 'What can I do? I mean, I'm in the White House for God's sake! Well, I suppose I could just roam around for a while. Maybe I'll meet someone interesting. Yeah, that's a good idea. I mean, who knows, maybe if I'm really lucky I'll just happen to bump into the President. Yeah, imagine that.' 

He dreamt off and his face got a goofy smile as he started to imagine himself standing in front of the President. He could already hear himself talking to the leader of the USA. The man would ask him his ideas on the problems in the US and he would calmly explain what his take on things was, how he would solve the health-care issues and the problems with the environment. And while he was at it he would also tell him that the whole election system needed some work. He would simply state the obvious facts and say: "Come on, Sir, surely you must see the difficulties there, I mean, the whole system is way outdated!" Then, the President would just look at him and tell him he was the smartest kid he'd ever met and if he would consider taking a position in the White House as one of his close advisors. 

He was still standing outside the Mural Room, when a high scream suddenly snapped him out of his daydream. "Oh, God ... I celebrated too soon," he whispered, "They've discovered I'm gone. Okay, stay calm Lyman, just act like you've been walking these corridors for years. This is your habitat ... Relax. Yes, that's it, relax" 

He calmly started to walk, but right at that moment a beautiful blonde woman accompanied by two Secret Service agents turned the corner and bumped into him. He quickly turned around, thinking he could still run for it, but there was no time and nowhere to go. 

All of the time his mind never stopped franticly searching for a way out of the situation. 

'Oh, man. I'm going to be in so much trouble. Maybe I can talk myself out of it. I'm pretty good with words. Yeah, that's what I'll do. I'll simply tell them I got lost.' 

He slowly turned around again, a cocky grin appeared on his face. 

'I'll show them. A Lyman never gives up.' 

Just as he was about to speak the woman started to yell. 

"Donna, Donna, where are you honey? Come to mommy, sweetheart! Donna, please, I promise I won't be angry." 

Then she and the two guards just passed him without even looking at him. They turned a corner and they were gone. Josh let out a deep sigh and started to grin. They weren't looking for him. He was safe. Before he started to move again a quick thought crossed his mind. 

'Well, Whoever this Donna is, she seems to be in even more trouble than I am.' 

~~~ 

"Donnaaaaaa!" 

Maria Mandaglio-Moss screamed her daughter's name from the top of her lungs. 

"Oh, why, why, why ... why can't this child just do as she is told?" she sobbed to the secret service guys who were with her. 

"I mean, I've tried everything ... all the tricks in the books, but she just won't listen. You know this it the fourth time in her short life she has pulled a stunt like this. The first time was when we visited the Guggenheim in New York around Christmas. I just glanced away for a second and she was gone. We spent the entire afternoon looking for her, worrying she had been taken by some horrible man, only to find out that she had fallen asleep in the corner of one of the exhibition rooms. I won't even tell you what happened when we went to the Empire State Building. And then two months ago we went to San Francisco, my husband had some business meetings there, and then she ... oh God ... what am I to do ... what am I to do with this child?" She buried her head in her hands and started to cry again. 

The two Secret Service agents just looked at each other in understanding and made an attempt to calm the woman down. "Don't worry, Mrs. Moss, I'm sure your daughter is fine. After all, she is only a 4-year old and this is the White House ... In what kind of trouble can she possibly get?" 

Maria just looked up to them and replied with a hint of sarcasm. 

"You don't know my daughter. Donna can always find a way to get into trouble. She isn't like all the other 4-year olds" 

At those words, she just straightened herself and started to follow the corridor again. 

"Donnatellaaaaaa! Come to mommy! I'll get you some ice cream if you come here! Just as I promised!" 

The agents just sighed and reluctantly trailed after the desperate mother. 

~~~ 

"Donnaaaa!" 

"Mommy?" she whispered. 

Donna almost got up to run to the woman that was yelling her name, but then she stopped herself. 

'No, I won't go. She promised me ice cream today. She promised, but instead I had to go with her to visit some big ugly old building that is completely white and which seems to be the home of a lot of weird people. They are all just running around, without stopping. I don't want to be here. I want to go home, to daddy. So, just let her look for me. She won't find me as long as I keep hiding in this room.' 

She put on her pouting face and sat down again, as determent as she had been before. Next to her there was a gigantic couch with big fluffy pillows on it. It was against the wall, to the right of a big desk. She had pondered for a while if she would actually sit on the pillows. They seemed so soft and they were all flowery and beautiful. But the thought that someone could walk in and catch her there had made her hide behind it. So, now she was sitting on the floor, which wasn't all too comfortable. 

'Maybe I should go back to mommy. Then I could still get that ice cream. She said that I would be a good girl if I would come to her. She said so, but then again, she did lie about the ice cream. Maybe if I ...' 

While she was concentrating on the different solutions she could come up with to get the desired ice cream, the door silently opened and closed again. She didn't hear the footsteps coming closer, nor the sound of someone bending down and sitting next to her. 

"Well, I guess you must be Donna then!" a strong and loud voice whispered in her ear. 

The startled girl quickly turned her head and stared right into the deepest, most beautiful brown eyes she had ever seen. What she didn't see was the look of terror that shot through these eyes when she had finally caught her breath again and started to scream at the top of her lungs. 

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"


	3. Ancient History 3

 

**Ancient History, Part 3**

**by:** Ellen  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance/Fluff  
**Rating:** YTEEN  
**Disclaimer:** The characters belong to Aaron Sorkin, et al  
**Summary:** Once upon a time there was a little girl and a young boy that met in a very big building called 'The White House' ... sounds like a fairytale, but definitely isn't one.   
**Spoiler:** pre-series  
**Written:** 5/9/03  


* * *

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" 

"No, no, no, please, Donna ... No ... just stop ... ok? This is not looking good ... no ... this is not looking good at all." 

Josh kept glancing back at the door, expecting someone to burst in and demand why they were in here. He didn't know what to do, so he went for the first thing he could think of and he covered her mouth with his hand. He looked straight in her frightened blue eyes and tried to soothe her. 

"Okay, you need to shut up and calm down now. If you do that I'll take my hand away. I promise ... all right?" 

Not a very good idea as it turned out. Before he knew it the girl had put her teeth in his fingers and had crawled behind the couch. 

"AUWCH! Why you little ...!" he slowly started rubbing the painful finger. 

'Okay, you want to play this game? Fine, I'll play and I'll win too.' 

He took a deep breath and his face got that devious grin again. He had an idea, one that she wouldn't be able to resist. 

'Well, that is unless she doesn't like lollipops. But, come on, what little girl doesn't like lollipops?' 

Then he just turned and relaxed against the side of the couch. He slowly took two big red lollipops out of the pocket of his coat. 

"Okay, Donna ... why don't you come out of there, I'm not going to hurt you." 

He waited for a while, but he got no response. 

"Well, okay then, I'll just have to eat these delicious lollipops alone I guess." 

He slowly removed the wrapper from one of the sweet delicacies and put it in his mouth, making soft smacking noises. 

"Mmmmmm, it's really good, yum, yum ... Are you sure you don't want one?" 

He hoped the lollipop would lure the little girl out of her hiding place. He knew the plan had worked the moment he heard a little voice coming from behind the couch. 

"What flavour is it?" 

~~~ 

'Oooops!' 

Donna quickly covered her mouth with her hand. She hadn't planned on saying anything, but the words had just escaped. She had been listening to the boy talking about the lollipops and she had started to wonder what flavour they were and before she knew it she had popped the question out loud. 

His voice sounded as if it came from far away when he answered. 

"Strawberry." 

'Mmmm, strawberries' 

"I like strawberries. They are red and that's a beautiful colour," she voiced her thoughts. 

"Yes, it is. And I have to say ... I suspect it is the red colour that makes this lollipop so yummy. So, what do you say? Want one?" 

A hand appeared in front of the small opening between couch and wall. It was holding the tempting piece of candy. 

'Well, he does have a nice voice. That means he must be a good boy. On TV the bad people always have deep dark, mean voices and the good guys have clear voices. This boy has a bright voice like that and therefore he must be good.' 

Contented with her logical argumentation, Donna convinced herself that there was no immediate threat. So she decided to crawl out and accept the lollipop. 

Moving on hands and knees she slowly reappeared from behind the couch. Now she saw the boy again. He was looking at her while eating his lollipop. He had a bunch of brown curls on top of his head and the thought quickly crossed her mind that it would be really soft if you would touch it. He was still holding the other piece of candy in his right hand. He suddenly held his hand out to her and offered it. 

She tentatively reached out and took the lollipop from his warm hand. After she had removed the wrapper, she put the sweet piece of candy in her mouth. 

"Mmmmmm! You were right ... it is really good." 

"Yeah, I know that. You see, I'll let you in on a little secret--" 

He moved a little closer and got a look in his eyes as if he was conspiring a plot to take over the world. 

" --I am always right!" 

Donna just stared at him and gave him a simple reply. 

"That's impossible. No one can always be right all the time. My daddy said so." 

The boy got a devilish grin on his face. 

"Well then ... your daddy was wrong." 

"He was not! My daddy is never wrong!" 

"How is that? I thought you just said that no one can always be right?" 

"Well, duh, that's simple! It's because he's a daddy. Everybody knows that daddy's never lie. And if they do ... well ... than they're just no good! Every child that has a daddy that is no good should get a new one." 

~~~ 

Now, Josh was amused. 'Getting a new father. What an idea.' 

He looked at her with a new interest. She had big, blue bright eyes and beautiful blonde hair. It was pulled away from her face in a pony tail. While looking at her, he realised that she was going to be one gorgeous woman someday. But for now she was just a little brat with a pouting mouth. And he wasn't quite ready to give up on their 'interesting' conversation yet. 

"A new daddy, huh. Tell me, how would you go about that? I mean, getting kids a new daddy ... that has to be quite difficult" 

"No, not really. We would have to get all the children with no-good-daddies together. After that all those children can go to the President and tell him he has to make a law that replaces bad daddies with good ones." 

"But where would you get all those good daddies?" 

Her forehead and nose got all wrinkly while she was pondering Josh's question. Then, suddenly her eyes lit up and he knew she had found an answer. 

"All the children with bad daddies move and go and live with the good daddies." 

Josh couldn't help laughing at her answer. This was clearly one smart kid. 

When he looked at Donna again he saw that she was sending him a furious look. Her deep blue eyes were staring at him and suddenly he felt very uncomfortable. 

"Look, I'm sorry ... I didn't mean to laugh like that. It just escaped me and it was meant in a good way, I promise. And I won't do it again ... okay? 

He saw the girl staring at him for a moment as if to gauge the truth in his words. Then her features softened again and he saw that she had decided to believe him. He took a deep breath and was kinda happy she had forgiven him. Then he made a mental note. 

'Never get on the wrong side of this girl. I have a feeling that would not be a very good place to be at.' 

Suddenly he realised that he had forgotten to say something very important. 

"Well, where are my manners. My mother would kill me if she knew I hadn't introduced myself yet. I am Joshua Lyman, but my friends call me Josh." 

"Hello, Josh." 

And just like that she had appointed herself as one of his friends. And oddly enough, Josh realised that he didn't really object to the friendship of this funny blonde girl. 

Then, she spoke again. 

"I am Donnatella Moss, but everyone just calls me Donna." 

"Well, hello Donnatella ... nice to meet you." 

He reached out his hand and couldn't suppress a smile when the girl brought the lollipop to her mouth and put her sticky little hand in his. 

Then his face got serious again and while still holding Donna's hand he looked her in the eye and asked: 

"Now, to the more urgent matters ... How about we get out of here?"


	4. Ancient History 4

 

**Ancient History, Part 4**

**by:** Ellen  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance/Fluff  
**Rating:** YTEEN  
**Disclaimer:** The characters belong to Aaron Sorkin, et al  
**Summary:** Once upon a time there was a little girl and a young boy that met in a very big building called 'The White House' ... sounds like a fairytale, but definitely isn't one.   
**Spoiler:** pre-series  
**Written:** 5/16/03  


* * *

"Now, to the more urgent matters ... How about we get out of here?" 

Donna, with the lollipop still in her mouth, thought about whether or not she should go with him. She liked Josh, but over the last couple of minutes she had really started to miss her mother. 

"I fwanfa go bvack two my vommvy." 

"Huh." 

She took the piece of candy out of her mouth and repeated her wish. 

"I want to go back to my mommy." 

Josh gave her an understanding smile, stood up and pulled her up. 

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go and find your mommy." 

Donna instinctively knew that he was telling her the truth and she confidently took his hand as he turned and started walking to the door. 

~~~ 

`15 minutes, he's been in there for 15 minutes. What the hell is keeping him so long?' 

Keith Miller was sitting in his boss' office, nervously tapping his fingers on the desk in front of him. He was a tall man with short pitch-black straight hair. He had a very expressive face with dark eyes that always seemed to match his moods. When he was angry his eyes would get an even darker shade than usual and everyone in the White House and on the Hill knew that they shouldn't attempt to mess with him at those moments. For .. they most likely wouldn't survive. 

He wasn't the nervous type. He always stayed calm when there was a crises. He found that the only way to resolve a situation was to stay clear-headed and approach the problem from a different angle. A political strategy that had been very useful in the last three years of the current administration. 

Today however, he found himself sitting in Thomas Newman's office, getting really agitated. 

`I have a million and one things to do and instead of getting out there and doing them I'm stuck sitting here. I'm wasting my time waiting for my SLOW boss!' 

That was one characteristic that Keith had never liked about his boss. Earlier that day, Thomas had approached him to have a meeting in his office at 3 o'clock. Senator Clayborne had been creating problems again and Keith was the one who had to reign him back in. 

Keith had already known then that he would only show up around 3.15. So, he had matched his appearance to that time-schedule. He was there at 3.15 sharp, but instead of seeing Thomas he had just encountered Jane, his assistant. She had told him to take a seat and that Thomas would be out soon, after his meeting with the president. Now, it was already half past three and still no `Chief of Staff'. 

"Okay, that's it," he said to the empty office, "I'll come back later." 

He stood up and started walking to the door when suddenly ... 

"Where are you going? We need to talk ... Remember?" 

Keith startled at the sound of the loud voice. He sighed and slowly turned around. He found himself looking down on the short, slightly balding man that was his boss. 

"Yeah, I'm sorry Thomas ... it's just ... well ... you did take your time in there." 

"Well, yes of course. Do you honestly think I can just walk out of a conversation with the president to meet with my Deputy?" 

Keith just shrugged his shoulders at the question and sat down again. 

Cutting right to the chase, Thomas asked: 

"Okay, where are you with Clayborne?" 

"Well, I'm working on him ... but ... he's a tough nut to crack. He doesn't want to give his support unless we make him some promises. And to be frank ... I'd rather not make any promises to James Clayborne. He's known to claim his IOU's at the worst of times." 

"We need him, Keith. We can't pull this off without Clayborne. He is the Republican support to this bill. Without him ... it will never be accepted ... and you know it!" 

"Yeah, I know ... I know." 

Keith slowly rubbed his face with his hands. He hadn't got a lot of sleep over the last few days. 

`But, then again ... when have I ever had a lot of sleep. Politics is not a career that grants you your much needed rest.' 

A small smile appeared on his face thinking about his life before he went into politics. He had slept full nights and sometimes even days back then. 

`Yep, yep, those were the good old days.' 

"KEITH!" 

Thomas' voice snapped him out of his reminiscing. It took him a second to focus again. 

"Okay, let me try to talk to him one more time. There may be a few promises I can make that won't turn against us through the course of re-election," he offered. 

"All right ... do it and do it right!" 

"Yes, Sir." 

He stood up quickly and left the office. 

On his way to the bullpen, his mind was conjuring up ways on how to get Clayborne to support the bill. He was so occupied with his thoughts that he didn't see he was on a collision course with the red-headed woman that was standing right in front of him. Then, it was too late and he frontally crashed into her. 

"AUWCH!" 

They both fell to the ground. 

"KEITH! DON'T YOU HAVE EYES IN YOUR HEAD?" 

He looked straight into the green eyes of Marilyn, his trusty assistant. 

"God, Marilyn ... I'm sorry ... but, what were you doing standing in the middle of the corridor anyway?" 

"Well, I don't know. I just thought to myself ... wouldn't it be nice to just go and stand in the middle of the corridor. You get quite a view on the bullpen from this position ..." 

While she was ranting one, Keith noticed that her voice started to get louder and louder with every word she uttered. Until she was practically yelling at him. 

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I WAS DOING? I WAS WAITING FOR YOU ... YOU ... YOU ... UUUUUHHH!" 

"Now, what exactly do you mean with the last `UUUHHHH'?" he grinningly replied. 

He had always loved to get Marilyn angry. She was quite adorable when she got all red and puffy from holding her breath. 

Not this time though. He saw that she was softly breathing in and out and that she succeeded to get control over her temper. She even managed to conjure up a small, insincere smile. 

"So…," she said in a cheery voice, " ... when do you want me to set up a meeting with Clayborne?" 

Keith gave her a questioning look. 

"How did you know?" 

"Well, actually there were three clues. One, Clayborne has been all you ... and the rest of the staff have been talking about for three weeks now. Two, Mr. Newman called you in for a meeting to talk about Clayborne and three ... well ... when you were walking through the corridors just now ... you had that look again." 

"What look?" 

"You know ... the `How the hell am I going to get a Republican senator that is against everything we stand for to sign a bill that he doesn't improve off -without giving him anything that might come back to bite us in the ass'-look" 

"Ah, yeah. You know, Marilyn ... I happen to know the number from a very good psychiatrist. You might want to give him a call." 

Marilyn just ignored her boss's last remark and repeated the question she had asked earlier. 

"At what time should I set the meeting?" 

"Tell him to meet me in the bar of the Ritz, tonight at 8 o'clock. Maybe a few beers will make him think differently about the bill." 

Marilyn gave him a soft smile, sincere this time. 

They started walking through the bullpen, heading for his office. When they reached their destination they went over the rest of his shedule again, while standing in front of the door. 

Keith put his hand on the door handle and was about to push it down. Suddenly he felt the handle being pushed down from the inside. The door opened and he stood face to face with a curly teenager that was looking at him with deep brown curious eyes. 

A little voice suddenly squeaked: 

"Oh oh ... busted." 

He looked down to where the voice came from and saw a little blonde girl staring back at him with big, blue eyes. She had a lollipop in her right hand and was clutching on to the boy with her left hand. 

The `Deputy Chief of Staff' finally found his voice back and managed to speak. 

"WHAT THE HELL?!"


	5. Ancient History 5

 

**Ancient History, Part 5**

**by:** Ellen  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance/Fluff  
**Rating:** YTEEN  
**Disclaimer:** The characters belong to Aaron Sorkin, et al  
**Summary:** Once upon a time there was a little girl and a young boy that met in a very big building called 'The White House' ... sounds like a fairytale, but definitely isn't one.   
**Spoiler:** pre-series  
**Written:** 5/25/03  


* * *

"Oh oh ... busted!" 

Donna looked up to the tall dark man standing in front of her. He was now looking straight at her and his dark eyes frightened her a bit. She instinctively moved closer to Josh's side and held on to him tightly. 

The tall man spoke 

"WHAT THE HELL?!" 

His voice was booming through the room and Donna could feel the tears starting to pool in her eyes. 

`No, I'm not going to cry ... I won't cry!' 

She was desperately trying to keep the tears from running down her cheeks, but it was no use. It was a lost battle and before she knew it she was sobbing all over Josh's trousers. Without even knowing it she had dropped the lollipop on the floor. 

"Donna?" 

His tender voice made her look up and she found herself staring in his big compassionate eyes. 

Suddenly he let go of her hand, bent down and put his arms around her. She responded immediately by slipping her short arms around his neck and burying her head in his shoulder. He lifted her gently of the ground and held on to her tightly. 

~~~ 

Still holding Donna and standing in the doorway, Josh focused all his attention on the man standing in front of him. His eyes, only a few seconds ago filled with compassion, were now holding a furious look. He didn't know what it was about this little girl that made him react this way. All he knew was that he needed to protect her and he wouldn't let this guy get away with this. 

`How dare this man frighten Donna!' 

In a voice that barely hid his anger he broke the silence. 

"So, do you often do this?" 

The man gave him a puzzling look. 

"Do what?" 

"Oh ... you know ... frighten little girls and make them cry?" 

"Excuse me?" 

"Oh, you heard me!" 

"Yes, I did ... but I don't think you fully grasp the problematic situation you're in here. Let me see if I can explain ... I open the door to my office. Oh, wait a minute ... Marilyn?" 

The man turned around to face the red-haired woman standing behind him. 

"Marilyn, is this my office?" 

"Well, yeah ... you know it is. Why do you ask?" 

But the man didn't answer her question. He simply turned back to look at Josh and continued his speech. 

"Okay, now that we've established that this is MY office we can continue. Now, where was I? Oh, yes ... so, I open the door to my office and in front of me are standing: one, very disrespectful teenager and one little whining girl, whom I presume to be his sister. Now, let's see ... oh, yes ... that doesn't make one, but TWO people that aren't supposed to be in MY office or this entire section of the building for that matter." 

He slowly brought his face closer to Josh's. The boy didn't even flinch. 

`What does this idiot think? That I'm afraid? If there's anything I've learned from my father it is that you never ever show fear or any other feeling to the ones opposing you.' 

So he just kept staring back at the dark-haired man. 

"So I'll just ask you this simple question ... WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY OFFICE!?!" 

Josh could feel Donna's body shiver from fear and he felt the warmth of her tears on his shoulder. Before he could even react, the red-haired woman called Marilyn spoke. 

"Keith, that's enough! You are frightening these children!" 

She pushed the man away and took his place in front of Josh. 

"Hi, I'm Marilyn, I'm the assistant of Keith Miller, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the President ... yes, the jackass you've just met." 

Josh heard a grumbling noise coming from the tall man, who was now glaring at his assistant with a murderous look in his eyes. 

And then ... suddenly ... it hit him. 

`Oh God, I've just pissed of the Deputy Chief of Staff of the President. I am so dead!' 

He figured that now was about the time to start panicking and started rambling an incoherent explanation about how he and Donna had taken refuge in the office for a while, trying to escape a teacher and a frantic mother. 

After his revelation, Marilyn replied. 

"Well, you understand that we have to find your teacher and her--" 

She softly touched Donna's blonde hair and stroked it a couple of times. Josh knew he liked her already. She had a very comforting voice. 

" --mother. We can't just let this go by. You are both in serious trouble, but then again, that's what you get from not following the rules." 

A small grin appeared on Josh's face. He couldn't help thinking about his previous encounters with RULES. 

`Well, it's not like I've ever followed rules before. I've never been a great fan of them. They are made to be bent or broken and I've got quite some experience in that area.' 

"Now, we'll send someone out to search for your teacher and ... What's her name?" 

"It's Donna and I'm Josh." 

"Well, like I said ... we'll send someone out, but you'll have to wait for your teacher and Donna's mother to arrive. And I was just wondering if you guys would like a tour around this place?" 

~~~ 

As soon as Marilyn had asked the question she saw Josh's face light up. His eyes, filled with worry a few minutes ago, now started to sparkle excitedly. She couldn't help thinking that this boy was going to grow into a very handsome man someday. 

She heard him reply in a steady voice. 

"That would be so great!" 

"Okay then, it's a deal!" 

It was only now that she somehow summoned the courage to look at her boss. He was still standing at the exact same spot from a few minutes ago. And he just kept glaring at her with a bewildered look in his eyes. For a few seconds she felt her concern growing. 

`What?' she reasoned with herself, `I haven't done anything wrong. And besides, he'll get over it .. he always does.' 

And with that she had convinced herself she had made the right decision to help these kids. 

She looked back at Josh and saw that he had put the little girl down again. He was sitting in front of her on his knees and was using his handkerchief to gently wipe away the tears that were still on her little angelic face. He had a very soft, loving look in his eyes. 

Marilyn suddenly felt awkward, as if she was intruding something she wasn't supposed to see. It was clear that in the little time they had spent together they had grown very close. She was convinced that their feelings would be no different than these of a brother and sister who had known each other for a lifetime. 

Then Josh spoke to Donna. 

"Hey, what do you think of her idea?" 

He nodded in Marilyn's direction. 

"I mean, we get our own personal guide to show us around. That won't be so bad, will it?" 

Donna sniffed a few times and asked with a squeaky voice: 

"Will I see my mommy after that?" 

Josh suddenly held out his hand and looked her straight in the eye. 

"I promise." 

Marilyn saw that the little girl believed him and she confidently laid her hand in his. He gently closed his fingers around hers, being careful not to squeeze her hand too tightly. 

He got up again and now they were both staring at her again with big, longing eyes. 

"Okay," Josh said, "Just lead the way!" 

Marilyn couldn't help but smile and looked around at her -now no longer angry- boss one last time. He nodded as to give her permission to embark on this expedition of the bullpen. 

She smiled at him and then focused all her attention on the kids again. 

"Okay, follow me then. Hop on the train that goes through the town of the West Wing. First stop, the office of our Director of Communications, Raymond Penn. Now, what you need to know about him is that he ..." 

~~~ 

Keith stood bewildered at the door of his office as he saw his assistant trailing off with the two kids. He couldn't help but smile. 

"She is quite something.", he said to no one in particular. 

He followed their retreating figures for a few moments until he saw them entering Raymond's office. 

He sighed and entered his office. While he was reaching back to grab the door handle his mind already switched back in political battling mode. 

`There has to be a way to get to Clayborne. What if ...' 

Before he could continue his train of thought he suddenly heard Raymond yelling through the bullpen. 

"WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE CHILDREN DOING IN MY OFFICE!?!" 

Keith just laughed out loud and closed the door to his office.


	6. Ancient History 6

 

**Ancient History, Part 6**

**by:** Ellen  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance/Fluff  
**Rating:** YTEEN  
**Disclaimer:** The characters belong to Aaron Sorkin, et al  
**Summary:** Once upon a time there was a little girl and a young boy that met in a very big building called 'The White House' ... sounds like a fairytale, but definitely isn't one.   
**Spoiler:** pre-series  
**Written:** 6/1/03  


* * *

"WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE CHILDREN DOING IN MY OFFICE!?!" 

Donna looked up to the big angry man that was standing in front of the desk. She didn't quite know what to think of him. He appeared to be angry, but his anger just didn't reach his eyes. They were dark and warm and had a hint of a smile in them. 

She looked back at Josh and saw that he had made the same observation, since he was smiling at the man. Reassured that this man was nicer than the other one, she gave the big man a shy smile. 

Upon her smile, the man's face suddenly broke in two and a wide grin appeared. 

"Marilyn, where did you find this adorable little girl?" 

While talking to Marilyn, he moved closer to Donna and stretched out his hand. 

"Well, Ray, that's a long story and I really don't have that much time," the redhead responded. 

Donna looked at Josh again to see if it would be all right to take this man's hand. He smiled at her and reassuringly squeezed her hand. So, she let go of Josh's hand to shake Raymond's hand. 

"I'm Ray. What's your name?" 

"Donna." 

"Donna, what a beautiful name! La Bella Donna! Excellent, excellent name indeed!" 

He let go of her hand and within a second her hand was reaching for Josh's again. Almost as if it belonged there. 

Now Ray turned his attention to Josh. 

"And your name is ..." 

"Josh, Sir ... it's Josh Lyman." 

"Well, young man, tell me ... why are you in my office escorting this beautiful young lady?" 

"Oh, ..." 

"Ooooohhhh! My God! Who is this pretty girl?" 

A tall woman with short brown hair came breezing into the office and without paying attention to her colleagues she bent down, her head hovering only inches away from Donna's face. 

"Well, Emily, these kids were found in Keith's office. It appears they have wondered off from their tour groups in an attempt to explore the real heart of the White House," Marilyn responded. 

"In Keith's office? Pfff, I wish I could've seen that. He must have freaked out completely," the tall woman said. 

"That he did." 

Raymond, who had been silently observing the people in his office for a minute, spoke again. 

"Marilyn?" 

Marilyn tore her eyes away from Emily, who was now introducing herself to Donna and Josh, and fixed her gaze upon Ray. 

"Yes?" 

"How is it that if I ask you why these kids are in my office you do not answer me and yet when the same question is asked by my deputy, you do answer?" 

"Well, I don't know ... because she's a woman and she's my friend I guess." 

"Right, that explains it." 

He looked at Emily and the kids one more time, turned around and called out to her. 

"Em, we need to go. We have a meeting with the President in 2 minutes." 

"Hmmm, yeah, ok. Bye, you guys!" 

Emily reluctantly stood up and started to follow her boss out of the office. But suddenly she froze. Raymond was already on the other side of the bullpen when he noticed that his deputy wasn't following him. 

"Emilyyyy!" he yelled in frustration. 

He turned around to see Emily standing in the office again, talking to those kids. He sighed and headed back. 

"Em, what are you doing? We are going to be late and you know that--" 

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw four expectant faces staring back at him. And then it dawned on him. 

"OH NO! NO WAY EMILY! No way!" 

"Oh, come on Ray. Have a heart." 

"No, UH-UH!" he firmly replied, while vigorously shaking his head. 

"Em, I'm not taking these kids with me to meet the President! I'm not!" 

"Ray ... be sensible ... you know the President loves kids and it would be a unique opportunity for the children. I mean, they might take this experience as an example and become better people because of it." 

"Emily, read - my - lips ... THERE IS NO WAY THAT I AM TAKING THESE TWO CHILDREN TO MEET THE PRESIDENT! And that's final!" 

~~~ 

About a minute later Raymond found himself guiding his deputy and the two kids to the Oval Office. 

`One of these days,' he thought, `one of these days I'm going to win an argument from her and show her who's the boss.' 

He looked at his deputy who was now animatedly chatting to the little blonde girl and he couldn't suppress a smile. 

`But not today ... no ... not today.' 

~~~ 

`Oh my God, oh my God, I can't believe this. Breathe -Lyman- breathe! What kind of an impression will you make if you faint right in front of the President of the United States. Oh my God, the President of the United States, I'm actually going to meet HIM!' 

Due to a severe panic attack Josh started sweating like he was in the middle of the desert. He let out a soft moan caused by the nerves that were now playing a game of soccer all through his body, giving him the chills. 

Suddenly he felt a pair of eyes watching him intently. He looked down and saw Donna's bright blue eyes observing him. There wasn't a hint of fear in them. 

`Of course not,' he thought, `the girl has absolutely no idea who she is about to meet. She's four years old, she'd be more excited if she would get to meet Big Bird. She doesn't know that this is what I've always dreamt about. This is a dream come true ... then why does it feel more like a nightmare?' 

The blue eyes were still transfixed upon him. 'Don't worry,' they said, 'everything will be fine'. 

It was weird, but somehow Josh had the feeling that Donna knew exactly how he felt and that she was silently trying to communicate that he was going to do just fine. He couldn't begin to fathom how the Hell she knew how he felt and -more importantly- how the Hell he understood what she was trying to tell him without saying one word. 

He never had time to come up with an adequate explanation, since Ray's voice interrupted his train of thought. 

"We are here. The Oval Office!" 

Now, the four of them were standing in front of a big, white door. 

`Need to swallow, need to swallow, need to swallow, ...' 

Josh was repeating this mantra in his head ... over and over again, when suddenly a little hand tugged on his sleeve and a little face gave him an enchanted smile. 

He couldn't help sending a big dimpled smile back at her. 

`Funny ... how is it that a blonde 4-year old has suddenly become my lifeline and is the only one that can get me to relax?' 

Then the door opened. 

Josh took a deep breath and he and the party entered the President's Oval Office. 

~~~ 

`Where are we going and why does Josh look so worried?' 

This was the question that was playing in Donna's head. She had noticed that her new friend had become nervous quite rapidly and she had tried to make him feel better by sending him a mind-message. 

It was a thing between her and her father. Ever since she had seen a glimpse of a really scary movie on TV, she had been afraid of the dark and monsters lurking under the bed. Her daddy had made it all better by telling her the secret of the mind-messages. If you concentrate really hard you can talk to people in their heads without saying a word. So, from that moment on, whenever she was afraid, she sent her father a mind-message and he would send one back. He would tell her that it was ok and that she didn't have to be afraid, because he would look after her. 

So, when she had seen Josh's worried face, she had sent him a mind-message, telling him that it was going to be fine ... whatever it was. 

Donna observed the room they had just entered. It was a big, round room. Immediately, she was captivated by the sight of the carpet. There was a big round seal on it, with a bird in it. It was beautiful. 

Then a deep and steady voice broke the silence. 

"Well, well ... Ray ... Emily ... who have you brought with you today?" 

She heard Josh gasping for air and quickly sent him another mind-message 'Don't be afraid'. 

As if he had heard her, he suddenly started to breath evenly again. 

Satisfied, Donna turned her attention to the man the voice belonged to. He was a tall, heavy man with a full curly beard, a set of tiny glasses were tangled up in his unruly grey hair. 

The man stopped right in front of them and silently took them in for a moment. 

"Are you Santa Clause?" 

The question had escaped her mouth before she had even thought about it. 

"Santa Clause? No, honey, I am not! Although I wouldn't mind switching jobs with him!" 

His laughter boomed through the room. 

Focusing his attention on Josh, he put up his most stern face and addressed him. 

"I hope you know who I am, young man?" 

"Y-y-yes, Sir. I d-d-do." 

"Well then, why don't you inform this young lady." 

Josh turned to Donna. 

"Donna, this is the President of the United States." 

"Yes, indeed, that is who I am. Now, Ray, tell me ... who are these children?" 

"They were caught trying to sneak out of Keith's office, Sir. Apparently they have escaped their caretakers to investigate life in the West Wing." 

"Well, well, well, Keith's office huh. I would have loved to see his face when he found you two there," he laughed. 

"Now, tell me ... what is your name, young man?" 

"Josh Lyman, Mr. President." 

"Lyman ... Lyman ... I know a Lyman. Noah ... Noah Lyman ... are you two related in any way?" 

"Yes, Sir. He's my father." 

"Your father, he. He's a fine man, that Noah Lyman ... a fine man. If you are even half the man he is, you will turn out just fine." 

Donna saw a wide proud grin creeping up Josh's face. She realised that meant that he was feeling quite good about himself. 

`He looks pretty with that smile on his face. He should always smile.' 

And there and then she made up her mind. She had come to a decision ... a decision that only a 4-year old girl can make in her naïve little world. 

Suddenly she realised the big man had focused his eyes on her again. 

"And what is your name, young lady? I assume Josh here is your brother and that you're also a Lyman." 

Donna gave him a puzzling look. 

"My name is Donna and no, he's not my brother. He can't be my brother." 

"Oh, and why is that?" 

"Because I am going to marry him one day and you can't marry your brother ... can you?" she explained in an annoyed voice. 

And just like that she had uttered the decision she had made only a minute ago. She had seen Josh's smile and she just knew that she was going to marry him one day. 

"Marry him? Well, that's quite something," he laughed. 

Donna got even more annoyed. 

"What's so funny about that?" 

~~~ 

`Well, well, that is one spirited little lady.' 

He managed to stop laughing and looked at the child again. Now, she was pouting like a true professional. His mouth curled up in a big grin when he, without looking away from Donna, addressed Josh again. 

"Oh, this one is going to give you a lot of troubles one day, son ..." 

He slowly focused his amused attention on Josh again. The boy had totally lost it and was now eye-balling him and Donna, opening and closing his mouth ... almost like a fish. 

"Yes, yes, a lot of trouble. You'll have your hands full with her, but somehow I don't think you will mind." 

"S-s-sir, I assure you. I have never ever told her I was going to marry her. I-I-I--" 

The President put his hand on Josh's shoulder. 

"It's not me you need to convince, son," he replied with a smirk on his face. 

He looked at Donna's determined face again and saw that she was not going to change her mind. He nodded in the girl's direction. 

"It's her you need to convince. But ... If I were you I'd wait for that. Because there will come a day, say -oh, I don't know- within 20 years perhaps, when you won't be so reluctant at the idea of marrying her." 

He looked the stupefied boy straight in the eye and seeing passed the horror of embarrassment, he saw strength and intelligence there. 

"I mean, who knows ... A lot can happen in 20 years. But, oh well, what am I saying. The young lady here is only 4 years old and you -young man- are just about to begin 'real' life. I bet that you two won't even remember each other or this day by then." 

"Sir!" 

He was brutally shaken from his pondering by his Chief of Staff's voice. Thomas had entered the room and just one glance at his face told him that he wasn't bringing good news. 

"What is it, Thomas?" 

"Trouble, Sir ... lots of trouble." 

"Never a minute of peace and quiet ... never," he sighed. 

He turned to Josh and Donna again. 

"Well, it seems I have to go. Emily will bring you back to the bullpen, so you can go home. It was a pleasure to meet you both." 

He looked at Ray now. 

"Ray, I've got a feeling I'm going to need your help here. Emily, take the kids back and tell Keith to come to the Oval immediately." 

"Yes, sir." 

At that, she opened the door and left the room, taking Josh and Donna with her. 

"Oh, and Josh!" the President suddenly yelled. 

Josh, who was already outside, popped his head back in. 

"Yes, Sir?" 

"You take good care of that little girl …you hear!?" 

A big dimpled grin appeared on his face. 

"Yes, Sir. I promise ... I'll take care of her." 

He turned around and closed the door behind him. 

The President kept staring at the closed door for a few seconds. 

"I have no doubt you will ... no doubt whatsoever," he softly whispered to no one in particular. 

At that he turned around, ready to battle whatever it was this time that threatened him and his nation.


	7. Ancient History 7

 

**Ancient History, Part 7**

**by:** Ellen  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance/Fluff  
**Rating:** YTEEN  
**Disclaimer:** The characters belong to Aaron Sorkin, et al  
**Summary:** Once upon a time there was a little girl and a young boy that met in a very big building called 'The White House' ... sounds like a fairytale, but definitely isn't one.   
**Spoiler:** pre-series  
**Written:** 6/7/03  


* * *

"Donna, oh God, honey ... where were you? I was so worried!" 

Maria gave her daughter a hug and in the process almost suffocated the girl. She was crying out loud, not caring she was surrounded by the White House-people who were starting to feel a bit uncomfortable watching her break down like that. 

"Oh, baby don't ever do that again!" 

Smothering her youngest with kisses, she heard a stern voice behind her calling out. 

"JOSHUA LYMAN! You little ... Wait until I tell the headmaster about this. And your parents -oh- you are in so much trouble right now!" 

Maria Mandaglio-Moss finally -reluctantly- let go of her daughter and stood up again. She looked at the young boy standing tall right next to Donna. She had expected him to have a scared look on his face upon his teacher's words, but was surprised to see that he was smiling. 

"I'm sorry, Miss. I don't know what to tell you, but that tour was just so boring. I just figured that ... you know--" 

His words trailed off and that gave his teacher the chance to reply. 

"Yes, I know how you think Joshua. You just figured that you could go gallivanting off to go on a little exploration of your own. Well, let me tell you something JOSHUA--" 

Maria couldn't help but notice how the older woman emphasised the boy's name. 

" --this doesn't work with me. And don't even think about trying out that boyish charm of yours. I know it has some effect with some of my other female colleagues, but not with me. You are in some serious trouble, but you don't seem to realise this, since you are just standing there with a goofy grin plastered all over your face." 

At this moment Maria decided she had heard enough. She was also angry with Donna and this Joshua, but from what she had heard from the President's staff members he had taken excellent care of her. Without him ... she didn't even want to think what could have happened to her without him. What if someone else would have found her, someone with no good intentions. She wouldn't and couldn't let herself pursue that train of thought any further. This boy had found her little girl and had taken good care of her. The least she could do was put in a good word for him right now. So she addressed the grey-haired teacher. 

"Well, Miss, with all due respect ... Joshua here just met the President. I don't think you would be acting any differently if it had been you standing in the Oval Office meeting our President. And even more ... he got my daughter back safely to me and that must count or matter for something." 

She looked back at Josh, who was now staring at her intently. She really hoped he would get the message she was trying to convey. 

"I know it matters to me." 

The boy gave her a brief nod, telling her -without words- that he understood and that it was really no big deal. He had done the only thing he could have done. 

Josh's teacher seemed to have eased down a bit upon listening to Maria's words. 

"Okay, Josh. Let's go! The bus is already waiting for us. Not to mention a certain boy who should become an actor someday. He faked his seizure perfectly, to the moment that ... for just a second I actually thought he was dying. You have one heck of friend in him ... you know that? Any other boy would have just confessed the whole thing up. But not Steven, he kept holding on, telling us how awful the pain was. I got to hand it to you ... you do know who to pick out for a friend. Steven is the most loyal friend I've ever met." 

While thinking of his best friend, Josh's features softened for a moment. 

"I know, Miss ... I know." 

His eyes suddenly focused again and he looked his teacher straight in the eye. 

"Miss, before I go ... would it be okay if I said goodbye to Donna? Please?" 

~~~ 

The older woman looked at the little girl standing next to Josh. Right after her mother had released her grasp on her she had slid her little hand in his hand again. She felt Josh's gaze upon her and decided it wouldn't really matter if the bus had to wait another minute, since it had already been waiting for 45 minutes. 

"Oh, I suppose so ... why not?" 

She watched as the boy slowly lowered himself so he could bring his eyes to the girl's level. While doing this he never loosened his grip on her hand. 

~~~ 

Donna was looking straight into his eyes now. She felt that something was up. Her mother was here and she was really happy for that, but ... there was something else. She would have to go home, but Josh wouldn't be there. He was to go with the grey-haired lady that looked really angry. He would leave and she would never see him again. 

"Donna ..." 

He took his free hand up and rubbed his face, followed by slowly dragging it through his curly hair. He was looking worried and was trying to find the words to say goodbye. He sighed and started again. 

"Donna, it's time to go now. I have to go with my teacher." 

He nodded once in the direction of the grey lady. 

"And you ... you get to go home. Just like I promised you would. So, I guess you could say that this is goodbye." 

His voice cracked a little when saying those last words. 

~~~ 

"Do you really have to go? Can't you come home with me?" 

Donna's little voice asking him this question hurt him more than he was willing to admit. He didn't find the words to answer her. 

It turned out he didn't have to explain. She could see the answer in his eyes and the tears started to trickle down her cheeks. Josh slowly reached out with his free hand and gently rubbed them away. 

"Oh, Donna ... don't cry! This is just goodbye, not farewell. There's a big difference between those two words. We'll meet again someday -I mean- how else am I going to be able to marry you. I can't marry you if I never see you again, can I now?" 

Josh had decided to play along in her little fantasy. He knew that he would probably never see her again, but he couldn't stand the tears in her eyes. If, momentarily indulging in her childish fantasy-world, would make her stop crying ... then why not? 

Donna seemed to feel a little bit better after his words. He suspected that she knew that he was only trying to make her feel better and she gave him a small, but shining smile. 

Josh immediately replied by breaking out in a huge dimpled grin he had only reserved for her today. 

Before he could say anything else, the little girl threw her arms around his neck and pushed her body close to his. He responded immediately and hugged her back with all the force he had. 

They stayed like this for only a few moments, but for them it seemed like it was much longer. 

"Hm hm, Josh ..." 

Josh heard his teacher urging him to end the goodbye's and to come with her. He reluctantly let go of Donna's little body and stood up again, still holding on to her hand. 

"Would it be okay if I took a picture of you two together?" 

Maria didn't wait for an answer and was already trying to find a good position to shoot the photograph. Standing with her back to a wall she had finally found the right position and looked through the lens. 

"Okay, say `cheese'!" 

"CHEESE!" 

Josh and Donna looked straight in the lens, never letting go of each other's hands. Afterwards they gently released, shared one more look and then both went back to their own lives. Josh back to the bus, Steven and high school. Donna back home to her father, stuffed animals and kindergarten. 

~Epilogue~ 

They soon forced the memory of each other further away as other things got in the way. But they never really forgot about each other. Every once in a while they would think back at that brief encounter in the White House that seemed so important at the time. 

Donna quickly forgot his face but would always faintly remember the beautiful brown eyes that could look straight into her soul. Through the course of time she forgot who those eyes belonged to, but never the eyes itself. They were etched in her mind. 

Josh would once in a while absent-mindedly rub the palm of his hand. Smiling when thinking about the sticky little hand that had held him so tightly. He would never forget the way she clung onto him and the way it made him feel. 

Years went by and they both grew up. As always when a lot of time passes by, memories faded and things were forgotten. 

What they didn't know was that there was a certain photograph. A photograph, carelessly taken by Donna's mother, that was stashed away in some old shoebox on the attic of the Moss-house. A photograph of two kids who by a chance-encounter had met and had sent their bright smiles into the world. This photograph was just lying there -year in and year out, and would one day, someday- change both of their lives ... forever.

~THE END~


End file.
